Paris After Finding Formula to Eliminate Iran Sanctions
IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
French Ambassador to Iran Philippe Thiébaud yesterday met Chairman of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce Mr. Gholam-Hossein Shafei and during the meeting he announced his country is looking for a formula to eliminate the U.S. unilateral sanctions against Iran.
During the meeting, Thiebaud pointed to the talks between Iran and France and announced his country’s efforts to eliminate sanctions on Iran to resume economic cooperation.
He emphasized that chambers of commerce of both countries should enhance efforts to strengthen economic ties, adding that the governments’ role is only to ease the way. He went on to say that Iran and France relations through the history have been beyond only economic relations and both sides have had deep cultural and human relations.
He also said the U.S. pullout of the JCPOA and maximizing its pressure was wrong, noting that French government once and again has reiterated that such U.S. measures of sanctions and exercising pressure will bear no fruit.
Thiebaud went on to say that since the U.S. pullout of the JCPOA, French and Iranian governments have continuously been in talks and all those talks have been aimed at finding a formula to solve sanctions problems and eliminating them.
Reacting to the disappointment about the failure of Europe’s trade mechanism INSTEX, he said he understands well this disappointment but EU is doing its best to get positive result.
The French diplomat stated that one should not forget that the mechanism is the first of its kind and it is very complicated. He added that finding a mechanism to be able to provide necessary sources for its activity is not a simple task and it takes time.
Thiebaud added that INSTEX is a gradual system and one should not expect it to cover all sectors from the beginning.
The diplomat reiterated that France is doing its best to involve more countries in the mechanism and it is to start with those sectors which are not under sanctions like medicines and food which are Europe’s priorities.
He concluded that France is doing its best the mechanism to be devised in a way that after starting operation, it acts efficiently and it does not disappoint the companies.
Meanwhile Shafei, for his part, pointed to the good and long relation between chambers of commerce of both countries, and criticized the sluggish move of Europe in operationalizing the INSTEX.He added that Iran’s Chamber of Commerce has plans to hold educational courses in Iran in collaboration with its French counterpart.
